Margo Owens

Margo M. (Fischer) Owens, 81, of Bismarck, passed away on August 4th, 2026, at her home, surrounded by her loving family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at the Church of St. Anne in Bismarck. Burial will follow at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan. Visitation will be held Monday, August 10, at the Bismarck Funeral Home from 5-7PM with a rosary/vigil at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.

Margo was born on October 24, 1944, in Bismarck, North Dakota, to Wendelin and Margaret (Lipp) Fischer. The youngest of 12 children, she grew up in Bismarck and graduated from St. Mary’s Central High School in 1962.

On July 3, 1965, Margo married Arthur Owens, her lifelong friend and classmate since first grade. Together, they were blessed with four children. Art and Margo first made their home in Bismarck, where Margo worked for Murphy Insurance. They later moved to Minot, then Williston and then Rugby. They also lived in Mandan before returning to Bismarck in 2025.

Margo devoted her life to caring for her family and raising her children. She generously volunteered her time with her children’s school activities, the hospital auxiliary, and her circle at the Catholic Church.

Camping and fishing with friends and neighbors were among Margo’s favorite pastimes. She and Art shared a love of travel. Their adventures took them around the world and included many memorable cruises and other trips together.

Above all, Margo loved her family. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren brought her tremendous joy, and the time she shared with them was among her greatest blessings. Her loving presence will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Margo is survived by her husband of 61 years, Arthur, Bismarck; their four children, Michelle and Brad Smith, Bismarck; David and Jennifer Owens, Grand Rapids, Minnesota; Karla and David Ripplinger, Beulah; and Lori and Chad Goetzfridt, New Salem; her grandchildren, Alecia Smith, Austin and Jessica Smith, Dylan Owens, Emma Owens, Isaac Ripplinger, Emily Ripplinger, Aaron Ripplinger, Perrin and Summer Goetzfridt, Trevor and Cadee Goetzfridt, Suzanne and Nate Nagel, Tyler Selzler, Jayden Selzler, Danielle Owens, and Reagan Goetzfridt; and her great-grandchildren, Walker, Mia, Eli, and Noah Smith, Ruth and Matthias Nagel, Micah and Finley Goetzfridt, and Rory and Sullivan Goetzfridt. She is also survived by her brother, Gary Fischer, and her sisters, Helen Yetter and Claudette Doppler.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Wendelin and Margaret Fischer, Anne (Jantzer) Fischer, Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Lacher) Fischer; five brothers, and three sisters.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the St. Mary’s Central High School Wendelin and Margaret Fischer Endowment Fund.